Ettie Annie Rout
Encyclopedia
Ettie Annie Rout was a Tasmania
n-born New Zealander
whose work among servicemen in Paris and the Somme
during World War I
made her a war hero among the French
, yet through the same events she became persona non grata
in New Zealand. She married Fred Hornibrook on 3 May 1920, after which she was Ettie Hornibrook. They had no children and later separated, and she died in the Cook Islands
and is buried there.
, Tasmania, Australia, she was raised in Wellington
, New Zealand from 1884. After leaving school, she became a shorthand
typist for commissions of inquiry and the then Supreme Court (now the High Court, and not to be confused with the present Supreme Court
). Biographers believe this job gave her a wide range of experiences on social issues. She was later a reporter
, businessperson, and writer, but most importantly, she was a campaigner on sexually transmitted infections
.
Ettie Rout's experiences founding a volunteer nursing group during World War I
made her aware of STI prevalence among servicemen. By 1917, the New Zealand Army
had made free distribution of her safe sex kit compulsory. It was for work in Paris
, inspecting brothels and recommending them to arriving servicemen, and in the Somme
that she was decorated by the French.
Ironically, in New Zealand, her exploits were considered such that her name, on pain of a £
100 fine, could not be published. However, though, her activities could be published.
Similar ironies were found overseas; her 1922 book, Safe Marriage: A Return to Sanity, was banned in New Zealand, but published in both Australia
and Britain
. In the latter, it was a best-seller. However, in the House of Lords
, a bishop
called her 'the wickedest woman in Britain.
overdose
following her sole postwar return to New Zealand in 1936, on Rarotonga
in the Cook Islands
. She is interred at an Avarua
church cemetery. In 1992, Jane Tolerton wrote her biography, and more recently, she has been more critically perceived as a "White Australasia" apologist in Phillippa Levine's account of contagious disease
legislation within the late nineteenth century British Empire.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n-born New Zealander
New Zealanders
New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis, are citizens of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multiethnic society, and home to people of many different national origins...
whose work among servicemen in Paris and the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
made her a war hero among the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, yet through the same events she became persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
in New Zealand. She married Fred Hornibrook on 3 May 1920, after which she was Ettie Hornibrook. They had no children and later separated, and she died in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
and is buried there.
Life
Born in LauncestonLaunceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania, Australia, she was raised in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand from 1884. After leaving school, she became a shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
typist for commissions of inquiry and the then Supreme Court (now the High Court, and not to be confused with the present Supreme Court
Supreme Court of New Zealand
The Supreme Court of New Zealand is the highest court and the court of last resort in New Zealand, having formally come into existence on 1 January 2004. The court sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It replaced the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, based in London...
). Biographers believe this job gave her a wide range of experiences on social issues. She was later a reporter
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, businessperson, and writer, but most importantly, she was a campaigner on sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
.
Ettie Rout's experiences founding a volunteer nursing group during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
made her aware of STI prevalence among servicemen. By 1917, the New Zealand Army
New Zealand Army
The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
had made free distribution of her safe sex kit compulsory. It was for work in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, inspecting brothels and recommending them to arriving servicemen, and in the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
that she was decorated by the French.
Ironically, in New Zealand, her exploits were considered such that her name, on pain of a £
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
100 fine, could not be published. However, though, her activities could be published.
Similar ironies were found overseas; her 1922 book, Safe Marriage: A Return to Sanity, was banned in New Zealand, but published in both Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In the latter, it was a best-seller. However, in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
called her 'the wickedest woman in Britain.
Death and legacy
Rout died as the result of a quinineQuinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
following her sole postwar return to New Zealand in 1936, on Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
. She is interred at an Avarua
Avarua
Avarua is a town and district in the north of Rarotonga Island, the national capital of the Cook Islands...
church cemetery. In 1992, Jane Tolerton wrote her biography, and more recently, she has been more critically perceived as a "White Australasia" apologist in Phillippa Levine's account of contagious disease
Contagious disease
A contagious disease is a subset category of infectious diseases , which are easily transmitted by physical contact with the person suffering the disease, or by their secretions or objects touched by them....
legislation within the late nineteenth century British Empire.
External links
from the Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand Biography
The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....
- Safe Marriage: A Return to Sanity (1922) facsimile copy, archived at ibiblio.orgIbiblioibiblio is a "collection of collections," and hosts a diverse range of publicly available information and open source software, including software, music, literature, art, history, science, politics, and cultural studies. As an "Internet librarianship," ibiblio is a digital library and archive...